Ziying Chen

History 7A
Prof. Sachtjen
26 February 2016
Document Interpretation: Popular Sovereignty, Shermans March to the Sea.

I chose to do my interpretation on the First Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln,

which is the speech that delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on March 4, 1861, the day that
he assumes the office for his first presidential term. The time that President Lincoln being
elected, was also the time which this country going through a tough time, the attempted
secession of the States and the storms before outbreak of the Civil War. During that time, the
former president(before Lincoln), James Buchanan, who was representing the North tried to ask
the Supreme Court to settle the dispute over slavery problems between the South and the North
in the famous case Dred Scott v. Sandford in the purpose to set rule for all (Brands 323). Dred
Scott was an enslaved African American in Missouri who tried to sue for his freedom when he
was taken from the slave state to a free state by his owner. The final ruling of this case is that no
African American can be a citizen of the United States. People in the North view this case as
Slave-power conspiracy by the South since the majority of the judges were from the South.
The decision of this case accelerated the start of the Civil War.
The slavery issue did not settle after the case, instead, it was dragged into the argument in
election. As supported by the North and representing the Republican, Abraham Lincoln won the
election of 1860. In President Lincolns inaugural address, his targeted audiences were people of
the South. And he addressed several issues that concerned the Southerners. One is that in the
beginning of the speech, he showed that he personally did not want to take a position in the issue

of slavery, by stating I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of
slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so... Then, he clearly
explained that he will not use armed force against people in the South unless it is necessary for
him to fulfill the obligation as the President of the United States and any actions that were
endangered the federal government.
He highlighted that the Constitution and laws are always protect the rights of each state
and the people. Also, he mentioned and give an insight of what his plans were to enforce the
Fugitive Slave Act that passed in 1850. Lincoln pointed out that the establishment of America is
not easy and this country had been through many difficulties. It implied that there are still many
obstacles on the way of the prosperity of the country. Lincoln used the Articles of Confederation
to emphasized that the original purpose of the Constitution is to form a more perfect nation
when he addressed the Union. He evoked peoples emotions by saying that my rightful masters,
the American people. as well as use the form of questions asking people to make the right
choices. He asserted that the central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy, it revealed that
his supports on following the majority rule. In the end, he insisted that the people cannot
separate, and encourage its people to come together as a unity.
Lincoln attempted to sooth the fears of people in the south by directly addressed that he
will not use violence against them and affirmed that they share the same rights under the
Constitution and laws. Such ways, it took a neutral position between both sides. However, he did
mentioned that as the president, he has rights to preserve, protect, and defend this country and
it is unforgivable if anyone try to destroy the government.